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A testimony for Future Farmers of America

Courtney Griffith takes over helm of Brush FFA Chapter

Vicki Severson

Posted:
02/28/2018 11:32:55 AM MST

Courtney Griffith (Courtesy photo)

Future Farmers of America's (FFA) Brush Chapter has a new president this year. Courtney Griffith, a senior at Brush High School is this year's leading lady. According to Courtney her job entails things like presiding over meetings, helping appoint members to committees and coordinating activities within the chapter.

"I have loved FFA since my freshman year. As a freshman, I always looked up to the officer team because I knew I wanted to become one. I think my favorite part of being president is being able to watch all the people in our chapter grow. It is really rewarding to be one of the members that the rest of the chapter looks up to," said Courtney.

According to their website, FFA is essentially a student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. The organization, however, sites that it is not just for those who aspire to farming, but also future doctors, teachers, scientists or anyone with a hunger for leadership skills and experience.

Students who participate take part in activities which introduce them to things such as entrepreneurship, internships and things such as raising and selling animals or crops, building farm equipment and even buying and reselling seed and fertilizer. In addition to the skills part of FFA, students also participate in serving their communities.

FFA is made up of state associations, which are then divided into local chapters.

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How does one become an FFA president? According to Courtney it, is a fairly involved process.

"I started serving on the Brush FFA officer team when I was a sophomore in high school. I served as an executive committee member and the secretary before I became the president. There were an application and an interview process last fall. All the members who were running for an office filled out their applications. We then had formal interviews with an interview committee. Our interviews were a week before our annual chapter banquet, where the results of the interviews were announced," said Courtney.

According to Courtney, FFA holds conventions in which participants from across the country are able to meet up and learn together.

"One of my all time favorite memories in FFA was attending the National FFA Convention in Kentucky my freshman year. Walking out of the stadium arena and seeing over 60,000 blue jackets was so incredible. It showed me just how amazing this organization is and how lucky the agriculture industry is to have so many young people interested in being involved in this field. This is when I made the commitment to become as involved in my chapter and the FFA organization as possible," said Courtney.

Courtney has served in the FFA in several capacities and claims her most valuable take away will be her learned appreciation for teamwork. After high school, Courtney plans to study animal science and agricultural business.

"I am really passionate about agriculture and want to remain in this industry after high school. Through my years in 4-H and FFA, I have also been very involved in livestock judging. While in college, I plan to continue livestock judging as well. This involvement will allow me many opportunities to further study the field of agriculture, all these experiences will build my foundation of knowledge as I move into the workforce," said Courtney.

As for the challenges involved in being an FFA president, Courtney has had to learn how to be able to decipher which ideas presented by fellow members will best benefit the chapter.

"Overall, my presidency year has been nothing short of amazing. I have one of the most amazing officer teams and chapters to work with. There are a lot of new members in our chapter this year that have amazing ideas and plans for not only existing but new events as well. My biggest challenge has been to work through these ideas and help implement those which will have the biggest impact," said Courtney.

Courtney claims that being in FFA has been one of her favorite parts of high school. Courtney believes the lessons learned in FFA will serve her in her future, such as time management, teamwork and delegation of tasks.

"Being the Brush FFA chapter president has taught me a lot of valuable lessons. I think one of the biggest things that will benefit me in the future is the ability to function as a team. Everyone has their own strengths and bringing these strengths together helps create a cohesive team. Throughout my four years in FFA, I have been on several committees and officer teams. These experiences have taught me the importance of working together with others and delegating as need to make sure the task is completed well and in a timely fashion," said Courtney.

According to representatives, FFA is funded through sponsorships and individual donations. National dues for each member are $7 annually.

For more information about what FFA is and how to get involved, visit at www.ffa.org

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